How can I possibly capture the perfection that has been the past week? Exploring Venice and its neighbouring islands and discovering their distinct culture, their rich history, the warmth of their people, and their overall way of life has been, quite simply, a blast. It's just so different from where I've been, where I come from and what I know...just the mere fact that it's a city in water is enough to set it apart from everywhere else. The trip and my learning of the old Venetian Republic's history served as a powerful reminder of just how much beauty there is in the world, in nature, in man, and in our ability to create, adapt, and discover...

The city oozes with that old school romance that we now only watch in movies or read in books. Everywhere you turn is a potential subject for a painting, every sound a possible song, and every street corner a story to tell. Like I said, it's everything I imagined it to be. Artists tucked away in hidden alleyways painting the sights before them or acordion players performing in gondolas...it's a sight I thought only existed in movies. But voila, I lived it for the past few days. C'est incroyable!

As I sat by the canals I imagined wars being waged on those waters with the Turks or the Slavs. I imagined the days when it was a commercial hub where merchants from all over the world traded their goods with one another. As I walked the hallways and rooms of the Ducal Palace, I imagined the everyday lives of the doges and dogeressas...such a distant past that I found it difficult to fully conceive. So distant as to be so unrelateable and seemingly irrelevant...and maybe that's what adds to its allure...

But more than anything else, I loved just roaming the streets and canals of Venice with absolutely no plans or maps and just going, literally, where the road took me. There's nothing quite like losing your way and trusting your inner compass to find your way back. It's amazing the things you'll discover...the small shops, the hidden alleyways, the odd writings on the wall, or (my favorite) the kind people. If there's anything I'll take away from this trip, it's the beauty of the city (of course) but also the warmth of the people. You wouldn't believe how many people I came across who were so eager to help or just so happy to say hello. Out of all the countries I've been to here in Europe, Italy is by far the friendliest...and really, what is a city but the people who comprise it?

So with all that, let me be the first to say that I've fallen in love with Venice. I was so sad to be walking across Piazza San Marco for the last time this morning. The city has stolen a piece of my heart and there's no doubt that I'll be back to get it...